Report: Hunger affected 12 million families in 2003

My question regarding this report is very, very simple.
WHY, in America, are 12 million families going hungry?

I'm trying to gather some world statistics, and am almost afraid to know how poorly the US ranks among developed countries...
You can read CNN's report on it here:
CNN.com - Report: Hunger affected 12 million families in 2003 - Nov 19, 2004